


The Best Three Words

by DovK



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Coming Out, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-30
Updated: 2011-07-30
Packaged: 2017-10-22 00:18:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DovK/pseuds/DovK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Lalonde finds it hard to trust people, but thankfully, there's one girl she can talk to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best Three Words

It is not a Lalonde thing to do, availing oneself of friends. People are always risks in Rose’s mindset: any secret you share can be one turned against you, and you will suffer all the more knowing it was your own choice to tell of it. Rose therefore skirts around sharing details of her life, never mentions emotion unless prodded, and even then unwillingly. There are, however, certain circumstances where letting people know about your problems is inevitable, when you need to bring someone into your life to help you.

In these cases, Rose is glad she knows a girl incapable of betrayal.

 

* * *

 

“Rose!”

Jade’s face breaks into a bucktooth grin when she sees her friend standing outside her door, eyes fixed on the floor, hands held stiffly at her sides. Most people’s initial reaction would be stark concern, perhaps a “what’s wrong?” and a hug, but Jade is blessedly unaware of normal reactions to social situations.

“Hello, Jade. If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to talk.”

She doesn’t mind, and takes Rose by the hand to lead her into her room once Rose makes it clear she won’t go anywhere without being dragged. Jade seats Rose on the edge of her bed, and sits next to the Seer, grinning all the while.

“So what did you want to talk about?”

“Sex.”

Rose is rarely blunt, but it’s worth it to watch Jade’s smile freeze and slowly sink into an expression of abject terror. Confronted with a problem that is above her grade level, Jade’s reaction is humorously predictable, and the comforting normality makes Rose want to run away screaming just a little less.

“I urge you not to panic. I meant that as a synonym to ‘gender’.”

The grin returns.

“Oh! I thought you had – well, okay, never mind! What do you want to talk about that for?”

Rose takes a deep breath, exhales slowly. Her own mind is struggling against her here, screaming _no don’t even think about saying anything_. Her hands find a place under her so she can propel herself off the bed and out the door as quickly as possible, but – somehow – she manages to keep herself sitting and talking.

“Have you heard about our… post-Sburb duties, by any chance?”

Jade’s frown answers the question well enough.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then. I don’t find the task of restarting humanity any more enjoyable than you do, especially given the vast amount of… work that would be required.”

Jade, amazingly, giggles. Sure, she might be discussing reproductive duties in the wake of an apocalypse, but this still manages to be funny to her. Rose feels a strange surge of pure _envy_ at this, one she has to bite back before she makes a comment she won’t be able to apologize for.

“Yes, well, funny as that is, I’ve… had more of a problem with it than you might know.” Rose has to focus on each word, forcing them out of her mouth one by one as her heart starts to squirm inside her.

“I dunno, Rose! I think I understand the whole ‘oh jeez we have to be breeding partners’ feeling!”

“Jade, I…” _don’t say it_ “I don’t think you understand exactly what I’m trying to say here…” _she’ll hurt you and you know it_ “I don’t just dislike the idea of repopulation in general…” _just get up and walk away_ “I… specifically, my problem with all this is…” _just get up and leave and pretend this never happened_

“I think,” she says, with a tremor in her voice, “I prefer the romantic company of women.”

Jade says something in response, but Rose can’t hear her friend’s voice. That awful feeling that she’s made a mistake is surging, rising up to overtake her and sweep whatever willpower Rose has left away and make it impossible to just _stay here with the girl_ –

Jade’s arms find Rose’s shoulders right as Rose begins to cry, and Rose presses herself into the crook of her friend’s neck, letting the tears soak into Jade’s shirt. Without consciously deciding to do it, Rose hugs Jade in return, and for a while all she can do is be held and cry.

At some point, as the tears are starting to come to an end and the feeling of absolute terror has drawn away somewhat, Rose hears Jade for the first time in what seems like all of living memory:

“It’s okay, Rose. It’ll be okay.”

It’s an everyday whispered consolation, doubtless just the most recent in a long string, but Rose _hears_ this one.

“It’ll be okay.”

As Rose tightens her arms around Jade, she feels like she might be right.

**Author's Note:**

> By /u/, for you.


End file.
